


4. A Blessing

by ellie_effie



Series: Beyond the Veil Artober 2020 [3]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26812900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellie_effie/pseuds/ellie_effie
Summary: He was constantly fighting a doomed war. Rivain had a long history of mingling with other inferior cultures with all the allowances given to qunaris and elves! He sometimes had to accept those foul beasts as his pupils.And was it really a surprise that those non-humans were more prone to fail their Harrowing?
Series: Beyond the Veil Artober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947253
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	4. A Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> CW: mentions of torture!
> 
> Both the character and the location (Circle of Ayesleigh) are original and not mentioned in any of the games or books.

Senior Enchanter Camilo Belean had overseen the Tranquility ritual many, many times. He was well aware that his position within the Circle of Ayesleigh had been secured by his ability to keep his acolytes under control, not by his particular talent for magic. 

Camilo smiled to himself, running his hands along the walls of his study room. The Circle he had dedicated his whole life to was indeed smaller and less prominent than the Dairsmuid one, but Camilo took pride in saying that his was the most orderly one. 

But he thought that he was constantly fighting a doomed war. Rivain was a beautiful land, indeed, but soiled by a long history of mingling with other inferior cultures. The holy word of Andraste seemed to fall on deaf ears there: no wonder, with all the allowances given to qunaris and elves! He sometimes had to accept those foul beasts as his pupils. 

He grunted and took a sip of the fine port to assuage his disgust.

And was it really a surprise that those non-humans were more prone to fail their Harrowing? No one seemed to think so, and Camilo ordered the Tranquility ritual to be performed on them without even feigning pity. The qunari were so aggressive, their violent tendencies would turn most of them into maleficarum. The elves were another matter entirely.  Abominations waiting to happen!

_Tranquility is a blessing_ , he thought, smacking his lips.

Camilo knew in his heart to be true, given what history had taught him. So there was no harm, in his mind, to help people reach that conclusion themselves. Perhaps not all the qunari mages had been as contentious as he had reported to Chantry, nor the elves as secretive. Perhaps some of the books that were found in their quarters, which were later used as evidence, had been placed there by Camilo or his associates.

_ But then again, nobody came rushing in their defense. If they were truly uncorrupt, wouldn’t their peers testify on their behalf? _ , he thought, pouring himself another chalice.

And now that damned Pentaghast woman had to go and tell the world that the ritual of Tranquility could be overturned. The former Right Hand of the Divine was a heretic, he thought! Why unearth such secrecies? Why ruin the good work he had done his entire life?

Camilo choked on the digestif and felt a faint taste of blood in his mouth.

He knew that if those people had their chance of regaining their powers and memories, they would come for him. So it wasn’t fear, it was a higher sense of dignity that compelled him to mix a strong dose of poison to his port that night. If he were to leave this world, let it be by his own hands. Let them know Camilo Balean had no regrets. 

The next morning, the former Grand Enchanter was found dead on his desk. By order of Divine Victoria, the Circle of Ayesleigh closed its doors the following week.


End file.
